Great Canadian 1998 (pictures restored)

[Volktales]

Was looking through some old pictures and found these... Time to step into the Way-Back machine and travel 17 years in the past. Made the trip to Coquitlam to the Great Canadian show at its old location... Come and enjoy what the scene was like back in the day...

First up is a nice original Java Green '67 up from Washington State.  Two-tone rims are always nice...

Next is a Sea Sand '66 that was very nice...

Not any shortage of splitties at the time...  Not many bays...

I think this was a split.  Definitely an early car that looks nice.

Liked this pressed bumper bus, looks Mango on the bottom to me.  I am sure Don the bus guru can identify the years of these splitties...

This early '60's Beetle was done in the resto-cal style.  Not a fan of the screaming yellow paint...  Like the polished 5-spokes, however...

This early 181 has been going to many shows for years and years.

Another two-tone, this time a '65.  This paint scheme was very popular for a time.  Note the pop-out windows, that were seldom installed on Canadian VWs.

This '60's Beetle in Peppermint is typical of the '80's with its colour coded rims.  The front end is pretty high by todays standards...

Who needs a "stinkin" bus when you can camp in style on top of your '65 Beetle!  I think I will take the bus...  Looks like a Puma hiding in the background...

I really liked this smooth green Panel.  Still do, although some signwriting would be nice.  And look, there were some baywindows hiding in the background.  I hate to admit it, but they were not on my radar at all in those days, so I took ZERO pictures of them...

This Pearl White '65 was clean and lowered just the right amount.  Cambered and narrowed?  What the hell is that???

Are you drooling Don and Darren???  Dove Blue is a classic.

Don't know why I took a picture of this.  Blah.

Or this either...

A '67 Cabriolet in Yukon Yellow with BRMs.  Tasty.

That kind of looks like Stan's Ghia.  Was it???

This Beetle was very fresh for its time, and still looks great.  Is that a Frankmobile clone parked beside it???

This bus looked nice to me.  Clean and simple, and I like those old school camper windows.

The inside of the above bus.

Low-light Ghia looks nice.  Too bad about the (likely) pan swap.  Early cars need those wide-fives, don't they?

I think this was a '57.  Remember talking to the guy who was selling it; he dragged it out from behind a barn and towed it out to the Great Canadian to sell.  Don't remember the exact figure, but it was big $ for the time.  He also had NO paperwork for it either.  Some things don't change much through the years, do they???   Brent would probably like the Wagon Queen Family Truckster parked in behind...

This low-light Ghia did it for me.  Very nice.

There were lots of water cooled VWs there, but I ignored most of them.  No idea why I took this picture as that yellow thing does nothing at all for me.

I am sure Frank would approve of this Sea Blue '67.  BRMs are still my favourite rim for this era.

One for Mark.  A nice orange (Amber?) '71 with good looking rims.

Can't believe I took a picture of New Beetles, but they really were brand new at the time and these were the first modified ones I had seen.

And here it is, my favourite car at the show that year.  I was drooling over this low mileage  Beryl Green '62.  Talked to the owner and learned about its history and what it was like to own a car like this.

The owner let me open the door to take this picture.  Couldn't believe how original it was in there.  Wish I had paid more attention to the stories he told me.  Why?  Because 15 years later I somehow ended up with the same car parked in my garage!!! 

I hoped you all enjoyed this little bit of retro-ism.  I found it quite refreshing to look at car show pictures and see NO crappy patina/rat-rod/rust bucket piles-O-poop!  And did you notice no ridiculous narrowed front beams and negative cambered rear ends that make your car drive like poo?

If anyone would like me to post more old car show pictures, let me know because I have LOTS.

[Brenticon]

Goldberg actually drooled over the land yacht. I think he was dreamin about the smooth quiet floating feeling of travrling down the road. Personally, I think it needed to be slammed and rimmed!!!!! PahhhhhTinahhhhhhhhhh!!!!

[PICTUP]

Great pics Russ! If I only knew this was happening back then…I was still in my boat phase while daily driving my VWs. The first Bus pic has what looks like my family's blue 70 Westfalia with the top popped in the background. 'Tis a shame you didn't have them on your radar back then.

Cool story about your Beryl Green 62. I didn't know you had seen the car way back then. The universe works in mysterious ways!

Yes, the Dove Blue, what looks to be a Wolfsburg Single Cab made me weak in the knees.

Guesses on the Bus years:

Pearl White Kombi 1965-67(pointed bumpers, big back window)
White over Black/Blue Kombi with camper window in rear(could have been a 13 window, but probably an 11) 1962-66(slash front bumper)
Velvet Green Camper 1967(has back up lights so most likely this year, but could be earlier)
Seagull Grey(?)/Mango 1956-58(pressed bumpers)
White over Red 21 window 1966-67(pointed bumpers)
Green Panel 1962-63(slash bumpers, lock recess in front door handle, fried egg turn signals)
Beige Grey(?)/Lotus White(?) camper with Riviera(?) tent 1966(slash front, pointed rear(? but common for 66 as they were moving to both pointed) bumper, large rear window)

We always like VW Show pics here, but keep in mind we really like to see your projects too 

[Volktales]

Lets see...  Adjusted the valves on your patient wifey's bus, yet???  

[PICTUP]

Jan 10, 2015 10:10:46 GMT -8 Volktales said:

Lets see...  Adjusted the valves on your patient wifey's bus, yet???  

Touché, lol! It's on the list for today…

[77eurobus]

Great pics Russ! Is that Dave Tomblins dove blue split window bug with the porsche wheels? I sure liked it . 

[CrazyBrit]

Nice! I love the Ghias, the Buses, the Bugs..... Oh, and the Ghias.

That orange Ghia actually has the same wheels as mine, although mine are now painted rather than chromed. Not too keen on orange on a KG though.

It really is quite cool to have a photo' of your car like that, taken by yourself whilst learning the history of it 15 years before buying it yourself, in the same condition as when you first saw it. Quite amazing really.

I agree with Russ' lowering sentiment. I drive a lowered bus and think that a little lowering looks great (probably helps the handling too, if done right). Too much, you can ruin a perfectly good car and make it a pig to drive. I don't see the sense in grinding 50 year old cars along the asphalt, after spending a fortune on rebuilding and maintaining them.

[68IIIbuggy]

Although the blue/white ghia looks like Stan's, it most definitely isn't. I sold Stan that ghia in 2006, and it was all blue and unrestored at that time.

[beetleboy]

looks like my car! unless someone else painted the car the same color and used a carpet transition strip for running board moulding

[mitchy965]

i am pretty sure the car in the photo is an oval window